The B.C. government is facing calls to significantly boost funding for inclusive education programs in response to “growing gaps in public education” in Surrey.
That’s according to the Surrey Teachers Association (STA), the union representing support workers and the District Parents Advisory Council (DPAC), who on Monday warned of growing impacts on both students and staff.
They say the district faces a dire need for more support workers for students with disabilities and special needs.
“The lack of funding has created unsafe conditions for working and learning for students and staff,” said STA president Lizanne Foster.
“We are no longer giving students the tools to succeed; we are simply trying to survive the day. This is not what education should look like.”
The group warned overcrowded classrooms and insufficient resources have contributed to unsafe and unproductive learning conditions, including violent behaviour from students with unmet needs. Youth with diverse learning needs are being left out of inclusive education and isolated due to the lack of adequate supports, they said.
The group highlighted the psychological and physical toll the situation is taking on educators, including one teacher who needed a skin graft after a student bit her.
“The violence acting out is saying, ‘Please help me, please help me, please help me,’” Foster said. “And they are saying that to people who cannot help because they don’t have the resources, we are stretched too thin.”
They also pointed to growing staff shortages and burnout amid what they called low pay and high living costs, contributing to stress, injury and early resignations.
The group said Surrey is being underfunded compared to its size and the speed its enrollment is growing.
“Surrey is the largest district and has the greatest need,” said Surrey DPAC president Anne Whitmore.
“The district requires $5 billion just to keep up with growth, yet we’re supplementing government funding with $42 million from general operations to address special education needs.”
The group is calling for immediate action from the province, including the NDP’s campaign pledge to place inclusive education support workers in K-3 classrooms and ensure a counsellor in every elementary school.
The Ministry of Education said the province has increased funding for inclusive supports by 100 per cent since 2017, and that the number of education assistants has increased by nearly a third in the last five years.
The ministry added it is looking at ways to hire more.
“Every child deserves the opportunity to succeed in their education and having served as a former School Trustee and as the mother of a young student attending public school, I understand firsthand the challenges some students face,” Education Minister Lisa Beare said.
“I am ready to get to work on the important priorities facing education in B.C., including working with districts like Surrey to identify and address challenges and share best practices in supporting all students – particularly with disabilities or diverse abilities – to ensure they receive the support they need to succeed and thrive in school.”
The STA, union and teachers are also calling on the province to increase capital funding for new schools, and funding that is adjusted for inflation to cover operational costs and salaries.